{"id":5855,"date":"2020-03-18T18:39:25","date_gmt":"2020-03-18T18:39:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/?p=5855"},"modified":"2023-04-10T20:35:33","modified_gmt":"2023-04-10T20:35:33","slug":"how-to-write-an-e-mail-in-german","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/how-to-write-an-e-mail-in-german\/","title":{"rendered":"How To Write an E-Mail in German"},"content":{"rendered":"<style>img#mv-trellis-img-1::before{padding-top:150%; }img#mv-trellis-img-1{display:block;}img#mv-trellis-img-2::before{padding-top:150%; }img#mv-trellis-img-2{display:block;}img#mv-trellis-img-3::before{padding-top:150%; }img#mv-trellis-img-3{display:block;}<\/style><p>Writing e-mails in a foreign language is not always easy. Sometimes this is due to a lack of knowledge of the technical vocabulary, but sometimes the problems are simply related to a lack of knowledge of the foreign culture.<\/p>\n<p>How formal should an e-mail in German be? When should you use &ldquo;Sie&rdquo; and when can you switch to &ldquo;Du&rdquo;?<\/p>\n<p>When writing e-mails in German, there are some stumbling blocks to overcome. That&rsquo;s for sure.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>But don&rsquo;t worry. We will now go into great detail about these very problems!<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<br>\n[toc]\n<noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-6783\" src=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/HowToWriteEmailsInGermanUpdated.jpg\" alt=\"How to Write E-Mails in German\" width=\"1000\" height=\"1500\" srcset=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/HowToWriteEmailsInGermanUpdated.jpg 320w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/HowToWriteEmailsInGermanUpdated-200x300.jpg 200w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/HowToWriteEmailsInGermanUpdated-683x1024.jpg 683w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/HowToWriteEmailsInGermanUpdated-768x1152.jpg 768w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/HowToWriteEmailsInGermanUpdated-561x842.jpg 561w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/HowToWriteEmailsInGermanUpdated-364x546.jpg 364w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/HowToWriteEmailsInGermanUpdated-728x1092.jpg 728w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/HowToWriteEmailsInGermanUpdated-608x912.jpg 608w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/HowToWriteEmailsInGermanUpdated-758x1137.jpg 758w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" data-pin-media=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/HowToWriteEmailsInGermanUpdated.jpg\"><\/noscript><img loading=\"eager\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-6783 eager-load\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns='http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg'%20viewBox='0%200%201000%201500'%3E%3Crect%20width='1000'%20height='1500'%20style='fill:%23e3e3e3'\/%3E%3C\/svg%3E\" alt=\"How to Write E-Mails in German\" width=\"1000\" height=\"1500\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" data-pin-media=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/HowToWriteEmailsInGermanUpdated.jpg\" id=\"mv-trellis-img-1\" data-src=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/HowToWriteEmailsInGermanUpdated.jpg\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/HowToWriteEmailsInGermanUpdated.jpg 320w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/HowToWriteEmailsInGermanUpdated-200x300.jpg 200w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/HowToWriteEmailsInGermanUpdated-683x1024.jpg 683w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/HowToWriteEmailsInGermanUpdated-768x1152.jpg 768w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/HowToWriteEmailsInGermanUpdated-561x842.jpg 561w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/HowToWriteEmailsInGermanUpdated-364x546.jpg 364w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/HowToWriteEmailsInGermanUpdated-728x1092.jpg 728w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/HowToWriteEmailsInGermanUpdated-608x912.jpg 608w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/HowToWriteEmailsInGermanUpdated-758x1137.jpg 758w\" data-svg=\"1\" data-trellis-processed=\"1\"><br>\n&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2>How to address people in German e-mails: Greetings<\/h2>\n<p>The choice of greeting depends on various factors.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>An e-mail is either written in <strong>formal or informal<\/strong> language, depending on how well you know the recipient and what your relationship with the recipient is.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>When writing to <strong>friends &amp; family<\/strong>, you would usually choose an informal register.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>When writing to your <strong>boss, colleagues &amp; people that you don&rsquo;t actually know (in person),&nbsp;<\/strong>you would usually stick to formal language.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>In case of doubt, it is usually better to stick with formal language rather than risking being rude by choosing a register that is deemed too informal.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Let us now introduce the most common greetings, both informal &amp; formal variants.<\/p>\n<p>And please note that after each and every greeting, there is a <strong>mandatory comma&nbsp;<\/strong>(not in Switzerland, though).&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3><strong>Informal<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p><strong>Hallo Marcel,<\/strong> &ndash; Hi Marcel<\/p>\n<p><strong>Hallo Petra,<\/strong> &ndash; Hi Petra<\/p>\n<p><strong>Hey Peter,<\/strong>&nbsp; &ndash; Hey Peter<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3><strong>Formal<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p><strong>Sehr geehrte Frau M&uuml;ller, \/ Sehr geehrter Herr M&uuml;ller,<\/strong> &ndash; Dear Ms. M&uuml;ller \/ Dear Mr. M&uuml;ller&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong>Sehr geehrte Kundin, \/ Sehr geehrter Kunde,<\/strong> &ndash; Dear customer \/ Dear client<\/p>\n<p><strong>Guten Tag Frau M&uuml;ller,<\/strong> <strong>\/<\/strong> <strong>Guten Tag Herr M&uuml;ller,<\/strong> &ndash; Good afternoon Ms. M&uuml;ller \/ Good afternoon Mr. M&uuml;ller<\/p>\n<p><strong>Liebe Frau M&uuml;ller, \/ Lieber Herr M&uuml;ller, \/<\/strong> &ndash; Dear Ms. M&uuml;ller \/ Dear Mr. M&uuml;ller<\/p>\n<p><strong>Hallo, Herr Baumann,<\/strong> &ndash; Hi, Mr. Baumann<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<div class=\"su-box su-box-style-noise\" id=\"\" style=\"border-color:#07a4c7;border-radius:4px;\"><div class=\"su-box-title\" style=\"background-color:#3ad7fa;color:#1a1616;border-top-left-radius:2px;border-top-right-radius:2px\"> <\/div><div class=\"su-box-content su-u-clearfix su-u-trim\" style=\"border-bottom-left-radius:2px;border-bottom-right-radius:2px\">\n<p><strong>Note:<\/strong> (This last greeting <strong>[Hallo, Herr\/Frau XYZ]<\/strong> is certainly a little bit less formal than &ldquo;Sehr geehrte(r) or even Liebe(r).&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>However, in German, it is still an acceptable and formal way to address someone, even if we are talking about businessmen that are using the formal form of address &ldquo;Sie&rdquo; when communicating with each other.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3><strong>If the recipient of the e-mail is unknown<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>If the recipient of the e-mail is unknown, you would, in most cases, choose a formal salutation.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>In German, the most common salutation for that purpose is &ldquo;<strong>Sehr geehrte Damen und Herren.&rdquo; <\/strong>You can use it for both e-mails and also printed letters whenever the recipient of the e-mail is unknown.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong>Sehr geehrte Damen und Herren<\/strong> &#8213; Dear Sir or Madam \/ Dear Ladies and Gentleman<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>If you are dealing with a <strong>bigger target audience<\/strong>, in German, you would still stick to &ldquo;Sehr geehrte Damen und Herren&rdquo; even in cases where in English you would choose something along the lines of &ldquo;To whom it may concern&rdquo;.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3><strong>If there is more than one recipient<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>In some cases, you might want to write one single e-mail but still talk to more than just one person. So how would you go about addressing the recipients in this case?<\/p>\n<p>Let&rsquo;s say you are writing an e-mail to Ms. Meier, but you would also greet Mr. Meier at the same time.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Here&rsquo;s how you would need to do that:<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong>Sehr geehrte Frau Meier, sehr geehrter Herr Meier,<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2><strong>How to address people in German e-mails: &ldquo;Sie&rdquo; vs. &ldquo;Du&rdquo;<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>Whenever you are going to write an e-mail, you will have to choose between the polite &ldquo;Du&rdquo; and the familiar &ldquo;Sie&rdquo; when addressing the recipient of the message.<\/p>\n<p>As a native speaker of English, this might be a little bit confusing, as there is no such thing in English.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>But don&rsquo;t worry, please. It is actually not that that difficult.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Generally speaking, if you are writing an e-mail to someone <strong>that you know very well (family, friends)<\/strong>, you will always address this person with &ldquo;Du.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>However, if you are talking to your boss, for instance, you might need to address him or her with &ldquo;<strong>Sie<\/strong>.&rdquo;<strong>&nbsp;<\/strong>The same is true with other people in official\/business settings, especially with people that you are not (very) familiar with.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>If you are sending an e-mail to someone that you have never ever seen\/met, you would usually use &ldquo;Sie&rdquo; instead of &ldquo;Du&rdquo; unless you are certain that you are talking to a c<strong>hild (teenager),&nbsp;<\/strong>then you would use &ldquo;Du&rdquo; instead.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3><strong>Changing from <\/strong><strong>&ldquo;<\/strong><strong>Sie<\/strong><strong>&rdquo; <\/strong><strong>to <\/strong><strong>&ldquo;<\/strong><strong>Du<\/strong><strong>&rdquo;<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>During e-mail exchanges, it is also possible that the recipient of the message will take the initiative to use &ldquo;Du&rdquo; instead of &ldquo;Ihr.<\/p>\n<p>Sometimes that happens after a few e-mails have been exchanged.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>If that is the case, and both the sender and the recipient are adults, then it is totally fine to switch to &ldquo;Du&rdquo; as well.<\/p>\n<p>Usually, it is the older person that offers this to the younger person. Not always, though, as with e-mails, the age of the recipient of the message is often not known.<\/p>\n<p>Moreover, if you are in contact with let&rsquo;s say the customer care department of some companies, they might address you with &ldquo;Du&rdquo; from the get-go or a couple of e-mail messages, and if that happens, you can obviously switch to &ldquo;Du&rdquo; as well.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3><strong>&ldquo;<\/strong><strong>Sie<\/strong><strong>&rdquo; <\/strong><strong>to <\/strong><strong>&ldquo;<\/strong><strong>Du<\/strong><strong>&rdquo;<\/strong><strong>: A matter of respect that holds some weight<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>The distinction of &ldquo;Du&rdquo; and &ldquo;Ihr&rdquo; is definitely something that holds a certain weight in the German language and should not be taken (too) lightly.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong>In cases of doubt, you should always go for <\/strong><strong>&ldquo;<\/strong><strong>Sie<\/strong><strong>&rdquo; <\/strong><strong>rather than &ldquo;Du.&rdquo; <\/strong>Like this, you won&rsquo;t come across as rude and you&rsquo;ll give the recipient of the message the chance to introduce the &ldquo;Du&rdquo; to you (later on).&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3><strong>Examples of possible sentences in e-mails using <\/strong><strong>&ldquo;<\/strong><strong>Du<\/strong><strong>&rdquo;<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Examples:&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>Ich wollte<span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"> Dich<\/span> fragen, ob du n&auml;chste Woche schon etwas vorhast.<\/strong> \/ I was wondering if you have any plans for next week<\/p>\n<p><strong>Hast <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Du <\/span>vielleicht Lust, n&auml;chste Woche mit mir ins Kino zu gehen?<\/strong> \/ Would you like to go to the cinema (with me) next week?<\/p>\n<p><strong>Hast du <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">deinen<\/span> Job nun bei Google schon aufgegeben oder arbeitest du immer noch dort?<\/strong> \/ Did you stop working for Google or do you still work there?<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3><strong>Examples of possible sentences in e-mails using <\/strong><strong>&ldquo;<\/strong><strong>Sie&rdquo; &amp; <\/strong><strong>&ldquo;<\/strong><strong>Ihre<\/strong><strong>&rdquo;<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Examples:&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>Ich m&ouml;chte <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Sie<\/span> darauf hinweisen, dass wir die Rechnung bereits letzte Woche bezahlt haben.<\/strong> \/ I would like to point out that we already paid the bill last week.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Sie<\/span> k&ouml;nnen doch meine Nachrichten nicht einfach so ignorieren.<\/strong> \/ I am sorry, but how could you just ignore my messages like that<\/p>\n<p><strong>Ich m&ouml;chte <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Sie<\/span> nun ganz herzlich darum bitten, mir doch eine Offerte zukommen zu lassen.<\/strong> \/ I would kindly like to ask you to send me an offer.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><strong>Ihre<\/strong><\/span> <strong>Firma gef&auml;llt mir sehr gut. Ich hoffe, dass wir in Zukunft zusammenarbeiten k&ouml;nnen.<\/strong> \/ I like your company very much. I hope that we can work together in the future.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2><strong>German E-mail Openers<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>After the e-mail subject line and the general salutation, the first sentence of your e-mail all depends on the actual nature of the e-mail.<\/p>\n<p>If you are replying to an e-mail, the first sentence of your digital message will usually serve to <strong>present your thanks<\/strong>. Here are some possible openers for you:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Vielen Dank f&uuml;r Ihre Mail.<\/strong>&nbsp; \/ Thanks a lot for your e-mail.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Vielen Dank f&uuml;r Ihre Nachricht.<\/strong> \/ Thanks a lot for your message.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Vielen Dank f&uuml;r die Kontaktaufnahme.<\/strong> \/ Thanks for getting in touch.&nbsp;<\/li>\n<li><strong>Ich habe Ihre Nachricht soeben erhalten. Vielen Dank daf&uuml;r.<\/strong> \/ I have just received your message (e-mail). Thank you.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>If your e-mail is not a reply to a previous e-mail, you would usually state <strong>the purpose of your e-mail<\/strong> in the very first sentence after the greeting.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Please note that in German, <strong>the first sentence after the greeting is NOT capitalized<\/strong>.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><strong>Example:<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>Sehr geehrte Frau Ammann,&nbsp;<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>ich m&ouml;chte Ihnen hiermit mitteilen, dass ich das Paket heute erhalten habe. Leider ist die Lieferung allerdings nicht komplett, denn es wurden nur drei anstatt 4 Kugelschreiber geliefert.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><strong>Example Translation:<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p>Dear Ms. Ammann<\/p>\n<p>I have received the package today. Unfortunately, the delivery is not complete, because only three instead of 4 pens were delivered.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2><strong>German E-mail Sign-off: Closing phrases<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>After the text body, you will want to make sure to use an appropriate closing phrase to close your letter accordingly. Here are a couple of possible closing phrases.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong>Mit freundlichen Gr&uuml;&szlig;en<\/strong> \/ Yours sincerely<\/p>\n<p><strong>Freundliche Gr&uuml;&szlig;e<\/strong> \/ With kind regards, (kind regards)<\/p>\n<p><strong>Bis bald<\/strong> \/ See you soon (note: you would only use that if you are planning to see the other person in person soon)<\/p>\n<p><strong>Beste Gr&uuml;&szlig;e \/&nbsp;<\/strong>Best regards (rather informal)<\/p>\n<p><strong>(Viele) Liebe Gr&uuml;&szlig;e \/ <\/strong>Best regards&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong>Wir h&ouml;ren uns bald<\/strong> \/ I will talk to you soon! (informal)<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<div class=\"su-box su-box-style-noise\" id=\"\" style=\"border-color:#07a4c7;border-radius:4px;\"><div class=\"su-box-title\" style=\"background-color:#3ad7fa;color:#1a1616;border-top-left-radius:2px;border-top-right-radius:2px\"> <\/div><div class=\"su-box-content su-u-clearfix su-u-trim\" style=\"border-bottom-left-radius:2px;border-bottom-right-radius:2px\">The most common way to close a <a class=\"wpil_keyword_link\" href=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/how-to-write-a-formal-letter\/\" title=\"formal letter\" data-wpil-keyword-link=\"linked\">formal letter<\/a> is by using the closing phrase &ldquo;Mit freundlichen Gr&uuml;&szlig;en.&rdquo;\n<p>This phrase is almost always appropriate and in case of doubt, it is best to just use that phrase instead of trying to come up with something more creative. <\/p><\/div><\/div>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2><strong>German E-mail Sign-off: Name (&amp; Signature)<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>After having chosen one of the closing formulas from above, all that is left to do for you is to provide your <strong>typed name.&nbsp;<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>The complexity of this very last step in your German e-mail depends on the nature of the e-mail.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3><strong>How to sign off informal letters in German<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>If you are writing an e-mail to your <strong>friends or family<\/strong>, all you need to provide is <strong>your first name in typed form<\/strong>.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>So, to close off an e-mail you would simply write something like:&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong><em>Liebe Gr&uuml;&szlig;e,&nbsp;<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><em><strong>Peter<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>If you would like to have it <strong>more informal<\/strong>, you can also make use the abbreviation of <span style=\"color: #000000; font-family: noway, 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif; font-size: 15.2px;\">&ldquo;<\/span>Liebe Gr&uuml;&szlig;e&rdquo; which is just simply &ldquo;LG&rdquo;, which would then give us the following:<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong>LG<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Peter<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3><strong>How to sign off formal letters in German<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p><strong>In formal e-mails<\/strong>, you would provide <strong>your full name<\/strong> rather than just your first name.<\/p>\n<p>This is usually the case if you are writing an e-mail to work colleagues (that you are not very familiar with or not familiar at all) or to strangers or company staff that you don&rsquo;t have aIt would then look like this:<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong>Mit freundlichen Gr&uuml;&szlig;en,<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong>Peter Hart<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3><strong>Sign-offs in German business correspondence<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>Generally speaking, as just discussed, signatures in e-mails are almost similar to signatures in written letters, just <strong>without the hand-signed<\/strong> signature obviously.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong>In German business correspondence<\/strong>, however, you would also need to make sure that certain<strong> additional information is given at the end of the e-mail.<\/strong> (e. g. name of the company, job title, etc.)<\/p>\n<p>More often than not, in business e-mails, this kind of information is automatically included (has hopefully been configured by your company).&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><a class=\"wpil_keyword_link\" href=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/atleast-vs-at-least\/\" title=\"At least\" data-wpil-keyword-link=\"linked\">At least<\/a> if you are writing from your office computer using software such as <strong>Microsoft Outlook, <\/strong>chances are that your e-mails have already been configured in a way that this information is pulled automatically.<\/p>\n<p>If it is not included, you might need to add it by yourself.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>If your e-mails are required to meet higher legal standards, you might also need to include a <strong>digital signature.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2><strong>Common abbreviations in e-mails<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>There are a couple of abbreviations that are commonly used in e-mail communication.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>One abbreviation that you stumble upon all the time, is&nbsp;<span style=\"color: #000000; font-family: noway, 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif; font-size: 15.2px;\">&ldquo;<\/span>MfG,&rdquo; which simply stands for &ldquo;Mit freundlichen Gr&uuml;&szlig;en.&rdquo; As we have seen earlier in this article, &ldquo;Mit freundlichen Gr&uuml;&szlig;en&rdquo; is one of the most common ways to close E-mails in German.<\/p>\n<p>In fact, &ldquo;Mit freundlichen Gr&uuml;&szlig;en&rdquo; is also very common in conventional letter writing.<\/p>\n<p>However, it needs to be said that abbreviations of greetings is not deemed good style in formal e-mail writing.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>So whenever you are writing to your boss or maybe just reaching out to Amazon Germany to inquire about your latest purchase, you should avoid using abbreviations such as &ldquo;MfG&rdquo; and similar expressions, as using <strong>abbreviated greetings<\/strong> is not acceptable in formal e-mails, especially not in business correspondence.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Other common abbreviations that may or may not be used in E-mails depending on the situation include:<\/p>\n[table id=17 responsive=&rdquo;scroll&rdquo; \/]\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2><strong>Things to avoid when writing e-mails in German<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>In formal e-mail writing, it is an absolute <strong>no-go<\/strong> to write everything in small letters. Even in informal letters, this might come across as you being disinterested in communicating and being careless.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Also, <strong>the punctuation<\/strong> should be on point (no pun intended). Question marks, full stops and even commas should be retained in both formal and informal writing.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2><strong>Use e-mails for these kinds of messages<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>Messages &amp; letters by e-mail are just as widespread in German-speaking countries as in English-speaking countries.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>What&rsquo;s the point?<\/p>\n<p>The point is that using e-mail as a means of communication is totally fine for a wide variety of messages &amp; different types of letters.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>The following is a list of various letters that can easily be written as e-mail without coming across as unprofessional.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>apology letters<\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong>letters of application<\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong>order confirmation letters<\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong>letters of complaint<\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong>inquiry letters<\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong>sales letters<\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong>follow-up letters<\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong>cover letters<\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong>thank you letters<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>However, there are also a couple of letters that are not suitable to be written in e-mail form at all.<\/p>\n<p>The following letters, as exemplified in the next section, need to be sent as<strong> real letters (mail)<\/strong> and some of them even need to be <strong>written by hand<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2><strong>E-mail is not always the appropriate medium<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>As in English, E-mail is not always the appropriate communication channel.<\/p>\n<p>However, if you are writing a <strong>letter of condolence&nbsp;<\/strong>for instance, as the name actually already indicates, you should indeed <strong>write it by hand<\/strong> instead of simply crafting an E-mail. This holds true for both English and German.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Another example would be the<strong> greeting card whenever a baby is born<\/strong>. In both Germany and Switzerland, a physical card needs to be written for that purpose. You just wouldn&rsquo;t communicate that kind of thing with an E-mail. At least not yet.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>If you, as a company, are writing <strong>recovery wishes&nbsp;<\/strong>to your staff, these kinds of letters should also be <strong>written by hand<\/strong> rather than communicated by e-mail.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Also, the <strong>termination of an employment contract<\/strong> may not be sent as an e-mail at all, as this is against the law.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2><strong>5 tips to write great e-mails in German<\/strong><\/h2>\n<ol>\n<li><strong>Keep it short and concise<\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong>Don&rsquo;t use abbreviations for greetings when writing German business correspondence e-mails<\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong>Use <span style=\"color: #000000; font-family: noway, 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif; font-size: 15.2px;\">&ldquo;<\/span>Sie&rdquo; rather than <span style=\"color: #000000; font-family: noway, 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif; font-size: 15.2px;\">&ldquo;<\/span>Du&rdquo; to address people when in doubt about the correct form<\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong>Craft a meaningful subject line<\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong>Avoid careless mistakes (slips of the pen), as this might come across as very unprofessional<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2><strong>German E-mail examples<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3><strong>Sample Email | German | Formal<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/WritingGermanEmailFormal.jpg\"><noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-5971\" src=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/WritingGermanEmailFormal.jpg\" alt=\"German E-mail sample formal\" width=\"1200\" height=\"1800\" srcset=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/WritingGermanEmailFormal.jpg 320w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/WritingGermanEmailFormal-200x300.jpg 200w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/WritingGermanEmailFormal-683x1024.jpg 683w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/WritingGermanEmailFormal-768x1152.jpg 768w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/WritingGermanEmailFormal-561x842.jpg 561w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/WritingGermanEmailFormal-364x546.jpg 364w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/WritingGermanEmailFormal-728x1092.jpg 728w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/WritingGermanEmailFormal-608x912.jpg 608w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/WritingGermanEmailFormal-758x1137.jpg 758w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" data-pin-media=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/WritingGermanEmailFormal.jpg\"><\/noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-5971 lazyload\" src=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/WritingGermanEmailFormal.jpg\" alt=\"German E-mail sample formal\" width=\"1200\" height=\"1800\" srcset=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/WritingGermanEmailFormal.jpg 320w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/WritingGermanEmailFormal-200x300.jpg 200w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/WritingGermanEmailFormal-683x1024.jpg 683w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/WritingGermanEmailFormal-768x1152.jpg 768w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/WritingGermanEmailFormal-561x842.jpg 561w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/WritingGermanEmailFormal-364x546.jpg 364w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/WritingGermanEmailFormal-728x1092.jpg 728w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/WritingGermanEmailFormal-608x912.jpg 608w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/WritingGermanEmailFormal-758x1137.jpg 758w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" data-pin-media=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/WritingGermanEmailFormal.jpg\" id=\"mv-trellis-img-2\" data-trellis-processed=\"1\"><\/a><br>\n&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3><strong>Sample Email | German | Informal<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/GermanEmailInformalNew.jpg\"><noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-5954\" src=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/GermanEmailInformalNew.jpg\" alt=\"Sample Email German Informal\" width=\"1200\" height=\"1800\" srcset=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/GermanEmailInformalNew.jpg 320w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/GermanEmailInformalNew-200x300.jpg 200w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/GermanEmailInformalNew-683x1024.jpg 683w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/GermanEmailInformalNew-768x1152.jpg 768w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/GermanEmailInformalNew-561x842.jpg 561w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/GermanEmailInformalNew-364x546.jpg 364w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/GermanEmailInformalNew-728x1092.jpg 728w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/GermanEmailInformalNew-608x912.jpg 608w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/GermanEmailInformalNew-758x1137.jpg 758w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" data-pin-media=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/GermanEmailInformalNew.jpg\"><\/noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-5954 lazyload\" src=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/GermanEmailInformalNew.jpg\" alt=\"Sample Email German Informal\" width=\"1200\" height=\"1800\" srcset=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/GermanEmailInformalNew.jpg 320w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/GermanEmailInformalNew-200x300.jpg 200w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/GermanEmailInformalNew-683x1024.jpg 683w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/GermanEmailInformalNew-768x1152.jpg 768w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/GermanEmailInformalNew-561x842.jpg 561w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/GermanEmailInformalNew-364x546.jpg 364w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/GermanEmailInformalNew-728x1092.jpg 728w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/GermanEmailInformalNew-608x912.jpg 608w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/GermanEmailInformalNew-758x1137.jpg 758w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" data-pin-media=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/GermanEmailInformalNew.jpg\" id=\"mv-trellis-img-3\" data-trellis-processed=\"1\"><\/a><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2><strong>Writing E-Mails in German: Wrapping it all up<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>There you go. You should now have all the necessary tools in your toolshed to write perfect E-mails in German. And even if they are not immaculate yet, practice makes perfect, right?<br>\n&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2><strong>Writing E-mails in German: FAQ<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong>Is <span style=\"color: #000000; font-family: noway, 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif; font-size: 15.2px;\">&ldquo;<\/span>Sehr verehrte(r) Herr\/Frau XYZ&rdquo; a valid form of salutation?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Only Use &ldquo;Sehr verehrte(r) Herr\/Frau XYZ&rdquo; if you know the recipient of the e-mail in person. However, it is usually better to just use <span style=\"color: #000000; font-family: noway, 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif; font-size: 15.2px;\">&ldquo;<\/span>Sehr geehrter&rdquo; instead of <span style=\"color: #000000; font-family: noway, 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif; font-size: 15.2px;\">&ldquo;<\/span>Sehr verehrter&rdquo; as&nbsp;the latter greeting extremely respectful way to address someone and is often not necessary, even a bit awkward.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong>May I use &ldquo;Hallo&rdquo; in German e-mail (business) correspondence?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Yes. It is possible to use &ldquo;Hallo&rdquo; even in rather formal e-mails. However, in some cases, it might come across as a little bit rude, so if you want to be absolutely sure that your salutation will be acknowledged as formal enough, use &ldquo;Sehr geehrte(r) Frau\/Herr&rdquo; rather than &ldquo;Hallo.&rdquo;&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong>How to sign off e-mails in German?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>To close e-mails in German, you will need a closing phrase followed by your typed name. In German business correspondence, &ldquo;Mit freundlichen Gr&uuml;&szlig;en,&rdquo; + [Full Name] is usually a good way to go about it. If you are writing to a friend, you can simply sign off the e-mail by writing something along the lines of &ldquo;Liebe Gr&uuml;&szlig;e,&rdquo; + [Surname] or even&nbsp; &ldquo;Bis bald,&rdquo; + [Surname] if you are planning to meet up with your friend anytime soon. Please note that the closing phrase (+ comma) and the name that follows are actually written on separate lines, just as in English.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong>When should I use &ldquo;Hochachtungsvoll&rdquo; in e-mails?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Hochachtungsvoll&rdquo; is considered extremely polite language and is also pretty archaic. In most cases, you wouldn&rsquo;t use &ldquo;hochachtungsvoll&rdquo; in e-mails. In English, &ldquo;hochachtungsvoll&rdquo; corresponds to &lsquo;Respectfully yours&rsquo;&nbsp;or <strong>&lsquo;<\/strong>Very truly yours.<strong>&rsquo;<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong>What are some alternatives to &ldquo;Mit freundlichen Gr&uuml;&szlig;en&rdquo;?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Instead of the formal &ldquo;Mit freundlichen Gr&uuml;&szlig;en&rdquo;, you could use &ldquo;Freundliche Gr&uuml;&szlig;e&rdquo; or &ldquo;mit freundlichem Gru&szlig;.&rdquo; Both of these express a very similar level of formality.<br>\n&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Writing e-mails in a foreign language is not always easy. Sometimes this is due to a lack of knowledge of the technical vocabulary, but sometimes the problems are simply related to a lack of knowledge of the foreign culture. How formal should an e-mail in German be? When should you use &ldquo;Sie&rdquo; and when can &hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":5864,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"disable-in-feed":false,"article-schema-type":"","disable-critical-css":false,"_convertkit_action_broadcast_export":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[32],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5855","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-german"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5855","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5855"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5855\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":24698,"href":"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5855\/revisions\/24698"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/5864"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5855"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5855"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5855"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}